Support structure for basketball backstops



Dec. 19, 1967 J. N. MILLER 3,353,994

SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS Filed March 1, 1965 FIG. 2

INVENTOR JOSEPH N. MILLER Arm/m6 ys,

United States Patent 3,358,994 SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR BASKETBALLBACKSTOPS Joseph N. Miller, Overland, Mo., assignor to Jackes- EvansManufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri FiledMar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,127 2 Claims. (Cl. 2731.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support structure for truing support framesof basketball backstops suspended from an overhead member. The frameincluding longitudinal and lateral members with the tensioning structurecomprising diagonal struts threaded at the ends and positioned inopenings in pins set in the frame members. Nuts threaded onto the endsof the strut members c'an'be tightened to increase tension in the frame.The ends may have spaced openings therethrough so as to accommodate morethan one strut.

The present invention relates to a simple convenient structure forbracing basketball backstop support structures, and specifically relatesto a tensioning structure which eliminates conventional turnbucklesnormally used for this purpose.

Gymnasiums normally are provided with basketball backstops on the sidesas well as the ends, and these are often suspended from overheadsupports and occasionally must be swung upwardly into a storageposition. These backstops comprise a backstop mounting a basket on itsforward face, a frame on which the backstop is mounted including droppipes and spreader pipes, diagonal and bracing means connecting thespreader pipes of the frame to tie the same together and to place theframe members under tension to make the backstop rigid. Normally, thetensioning arrangement comprises studs fastened to the frame, each studhaving an eye on one end, and strut members having eyes connected to thestud eyes and being themselves connected at their other ends byturnbuckles. The turnbuckles are used to create tension across thediagonals of the frame members, and require that the end of one strutmember have a right hand thread and the end of the opposite strut have aleft hand thread.

The tensioning created when the turnbuckles are tightened sometimescauses the eye to pull loose or unravel. In additiion, the turnbucklestructure is expensive and cumbersome and adds to the weight as well asthe cost of the backstop.

Accordingly, one of the principal objects of the present invention is toprovide a relatively simple diagonal tensioning arrangement forbasketball backstops without using a turnbuckle construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple diagonaltensioning arrangement for basketball backstops utilizing struts whichare threaded on their ends and stud members having openings in the shankthrough which the threaded ends of the stud pass and are tightened bysimple nuts. Other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like parts wherever theyoccur:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a basketballbackstop suspended from a support and provided with the diagonalstiffening arrangement of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary back view of the stiffening construction,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of thestiffening construction, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of the stiffeningconstruction.

The present invention comprises a diagonal tensioning arrangement forbasketball backstop structures comprising crossed struts threaded ontheir ends and passed through openings in studs anchored in the spreaderpipes of the backstop support frame with nuts on the strut ends beingused to draw the stud members toward each other to provide tension inthe frame.

FIG. 1 shows a frame 10 pivotally suspended from an overhead support 11,said frame 10 being composed of longitudinal members or drop pipes 12and lateral members or spreader pipes 13 connected between thelongitudinal members 12. As shown, the frame 10 is made of pipe, but itcan be angle iron or other framing sections.

The novel tensioning arrangement of the present invention is embodied instud members 14 having means (such as a head 15) for anchoring the sameto the lateral frame members 13 and provided with openings 16 adjacentto the free ends thereof which extend above the top surface of the framemembers 13. The studs 14 can be positioned at any desired location alongthe frame members 12 and 13, but preferably are positioned in thespreader frame members 13 adjacent to the corners thereof.

Diagonal tensioning strut members 17 are threaded at 18 on theiropposite ends with conventional threads, preferably right hand threads.The strut members 17 are of such length as to pass through the openings16 in the diagonally aligned stud members 14 so that a sufiicientportion thereof extends beyond the stud member 14 to enable a nut 19 tobe threaded onto one of the ends and secured there by peened orflattened portions 20 on the strut end. The threading 18 on the oppositestrut end extends a sufi'lcient distance toward the center of the strut17 so that a tensioning nut 21 can be turned onto the strut 17 asuflicient distance to provide tensioning in the strut 17 andconsequently in the frame 10. A lock nut 22 then is turned down againstthe tensioning nut 21 to retain the tensioning in the strut 17.

To tension the frame 10, the studs in openings 23 in the frame members13; the strut members 17 are positioned in the stud openings 16; and thenuts 19 and 21 are threaded onto the ends 18 of the struts 17 and turneddown until the designed tension is created in the struts 17 and in theframe 10.

The studs 17 are fastened together at their point of crossing by asuitable clamp 24 (FIG. 2) to eliminate noise caused by their hittingtogether during use.

The backstop 25 carrying a basket 26 is secured by clamps 27 to thelowermost portion of the horizontal pipes 12 (FIG. 1). A suitablestiffening bar 28 is pivotally secured to the frame 10 at 29 and alsopivotally secured to the roof support (not shown) and hinged at itsmidpoint for raising out of playing position. A cable 30 is secured tothe frame 10 by a bar 31 and is passed over a pulley (not shown)attached to a roof support and connected to a hand or power operatedwinch (not shown). By winding up the cable 30, the backstop is raisedout of playing position into storage position.

A modification is shown in FIG. 4 and is useful when the longitudinalpipes 12 are long. This requires a center lateral brace 13a between theend lateral pipes 13. The diagonal struts 17a connect between the endlateral pipes 13 and the center lateral brace 13a. This results in apair of cross brace structures on the back of the frame 10.

While the end lateral pipes 13 utilize the same arrangement of studs 14,the center lateral spreader pipe 13a uses a stud 14a having a pair oflongitudinally spaced openings 16a at about 45 with respect to eachother to accommodate the strut ends.

14 are positioned It is seen that the present invention provides all theobjects and advantages sought therefor using simple threaded struts,nuts and studs, all of which are conventionally available and simple andinexpensive to manufacture and assemble as well as to adjust in thefield.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of theexamples of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure,which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a backstop assembly including a basketball backboard and a dropframe fastened to the back side thereof comprising a frame oflongitudinal members andlateral members, the improvement comprisingsmooth shanked anchor pins provided with openings adjacent to one oftheir ends, said pins being slidably positioned through diagonallyopposed frame members, and, diagonal straight rod struts slidablypositioned in the pin openings, each of said struts having at least oneof its ends threaded and a tightening nut positioned on the threadedend, at least some of the pins have more than one opening therethrough,the openings being spaced along the length of the pin and angularlydisposed with respect to each other and receiving at least two diagonalrod struts in the openings.

2. A backstop assembly comprising a pair of aligned longitudinal framemembers fastened to an overhead support, a backboard fastened to thelower ends of the longitudinal frame members, lateral frame memberspositioned at spaced locations between the longitudinal frame members, atensioning structure diagonally bracing the frame members comprisingpins slidably positioned in the lateral frame members adjacent to thelongitudinal frame members, openings in the pin ends, cross strutmembers slidably positioned in the openings, ends of the strut membersbeing threaded, and nuts positioned on the threaded ends of the strutmembers, said nuts being turned down against the outer edges of the pinsto tension the frame, the frame including at least three lateral membersand the pins in the central member have spaced angularly positionedopenings receiving more than one of the strut members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,443 6/1906 Grossman 5-2211,462,439 7/1923 Baldwin 182-178 XR 1,995,248 3/1935 Herman 522232,092,022 9/1937 Rieger 52695 XR 2,122,155 6/1938 Schlatt 2038 2,126,5118/1938 Soule 52695 XR 2,162,085 6/1939 Hoppes 273l.5 2,262,569 11/1941Wilcox 52695 XR LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. F. B. SHAY, A. O.OECHSLE, Examiners.

S. NATTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A BACKSTOP ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BASKETBALL BACKBOARD AND A DROPFRAME FASTENED TO THE BACK SIDE THEREOF COMPRISING A FRAME OFLONGITUDINAL MEMBERS AND LATERAL MEMBERS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISINGSMOOTH SHANKED ANCHOR PINS PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS ADJACENT TO ONE OFTHEIR ENDS, SAID PINS BEING SLIDABLY POSITIONED THROUGH DIAGONALLYOPPOSED FRAME MEMBERS, AND DIAGONAL STRAIGHT ROD STRUTS SLIDABLYPOSITIONED IN THE PIN OPENINGS, EACH OF SAID STRUTS HAVING AT LEAST ONEOF ITS ENDS THREADED AND A TIGHTENING NUT POSITIONED ON THE THREADEDEND, AT LEAST SOME OF THE PINS HAVE MORE THAN ONE OPENING THERETHROUGH,THE OPENINGS BEING SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PIN AND ANGULARLYDISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND RECEIVING AT LEAST TWO DIAGONALROD STRUTS IN THE OPENINGS.